Something is Happening. People are Drawing Lines.And We’ve Got It Covered.

Medicare for All. A Green New Deal. Higher taxes on the rich. Women rising up. Teachers marching. Workers organizing. Students striking. Common Dreams is here to cover every moment of it. But we can't do it without you. Please support our 2019 Winter Campaign today.

Support Independent Journalism. The only thing that keeps us going is support from readers like you. Every contribution makes a huge difference. DONATE

Search form

For Immediate Release

Over 50 Dead in Haiti from Hurricane; Nearly 400,000 in Tents — Why?

WASHINGTON - BRIAN CONCANNON [email], via Nicole Phillips [email]
Director of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, Concannon said today: “Hurricane Sandy will kill many times more people in Haiti than everywhere else combined, despite barely touching the country with tropical storm-strength winds. Sandy shows that Haiti’s real disaster is decades of policies by Haitian governments and the international community that leave the government unable to provide the basic services necessary to reduce its citizens’ vulnerability to natural stress.”

ALEXIS ERKERT, [in Haiti] [email] [speaks English, French, Kreyol], @aerkert
Erkert works with the women-driven collaborative Other Worlds and is also involved in the Under Tents international campaign.

She said today: “In Haiti, entire cities flooded in the south, homes and crops were damaged, bridges and roads washed out, and 65 people lost their lives. In Port-au-Prince, the 370,000 in displacement camps — still living under shredding tents and tarps almost three years after the Haiti earthquake — spent four consecutive days trying to salvage belongings (and stay dry) as 20 inches of rain poured in.

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Something is Happening. People are Drawing Lines.
And We’ve Got It Covered.

But we can't do it without you. Please support our Winter Campaign.

“The government has stated that they will prioritize clearing camps. Indeed, forced evictions are already on the rise, but still with no plan in place that assures Haiti’s homeless long-term access to safe, permanent and affordable housing.

“The lack of any housing plan — one that also ensures access to basic services — while the government is at the same time promoting opportunities for large-scale foreign investment is tragically indicative of the Haitian government and international community’s priorities for Haiti.

“International solidarity with the organized movements in Haiti that are calling for a social housing plan is more urgent now than ever.”

###

This is the world we live in. This is the world we cover.

Because of people like you, another world is possible. There are many battles to be won, but we will battle them together—all of us. Common Dreams is not your normal news site. We don't survive on clicks. We don't want advertising dollars. We want the world to be a better place. But we can't do it alone. It doesn't work that way. We need you. If you can help today—because every gift of every size matters—please do.

A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other
voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA
works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication
with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.

Further

Because so much winning, another good ole bigot - with an actual bully pulpit - has crawled out of his cave to call for the Ku Klux Klan "to night ride again" and hang Democrats, "Republican Democrats" and "socialist-communists" with "hemp ropes to clean out D.C." The newspaper of one Goodloe Sutton has evidently long been "a cesspool of indefensible bilge." Hence, when asked about the propriety of his call, this defense of the Klan: "Well, they didn't kill but a few people." Thanks Trump.

Common Dreams brings you the news that matters.

Sign up for Newsletter

Connect With Us

Support our common dreams.

Can We Count on Your Help Today?

Common Dreams is a small nonprofit with a big mission. Every day of the week, we publish the most important breaking news & views for the progressive community. To remain an independent news source, we do not advertise, sell subscriptions or accept corporate contributions. Instead, we rely on readers like you, to provide the "people power" that fuels our work. Please help keep Common Dreams alive by making a contribution. Thank you. - Craig Brown, Co-founder